Floating Solar Farm
Solar Energy
In short
An in-depth development project from research to detailed design with a focus on functionality, safety, and economies of scale.
What we did
Product Research
Concept Design
Design For Manufacture
Economies of Scale
Client
Phelan Energy
Finished on
October 2020
Conceptual Design
There were two main concepts developed.
One with plastic floats, aluminium frames, and large solar panels,
and one with an all-plastic float grid with smaller solar panels.
Each had their own pros and cons and were researched and explored in depth.
Solar farms consist of tens of thousands of parts and hundreds of tons of material. As such, every gram of material saved on one part means exponential savings on each solar farm. DMC made extensive calculations and design tweaks to optimize cost without compromising critical strength and durability.
Plastic Parts
The main grid of the solar farm consists of blow-moulded plastic floats connected with injection moulded custom nuts and bolts on each corner. A simple, but effective method of surviving the elements for up to 20 years.
Design for Manufacture
As with every DMC design, ease of manufacturing was a high priority. Working in close collaboration with manufacturers, all the plastic and metal parts were designed up to the last detail to ensure fast, easy, and cost effective manufacturing.
Weight and cost on such a large scale was imperative to get right
The aluminium frame consists of a range of extrusions connected with clamps and bolts. Extensive study and calculations were done to optimize the design of the frame for strength, weight and economy. These three factors were all critical to success.
For any more information on this project, please get in touch and we'll connect you with Phelan Energy.
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